Improvement in ivi



l. BANDON 81]. WIGGIM, lr.

M-.iddlings Puriiiers.

Patented Oct. -7, 1873,

AM PHUIiITHUSRAP//IC CM( K huso/wes P/eacsss v JOHN BANDONVAND JOHNWIGGIM, JR., OF DAYTON, OHIO.

IMPROVEMENT IN MIDDLINGSHPURIFIERS.

Specieation forming part" of Letters Patent No. 143,490, dated October7, 1873; application filed Mayes), i873. i.

To all whom it 'may concern: Be it known that we, JOHN BANnoN and JOHNWIGGIM, Jr., of Dayton, in the county of Montgomery and State of Ohio,have invented a new and useful Improvement in Machines for PurifyingMiddlings; and we ,do hereby declare that the following is a full andexact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

Figure l represents a side elevation of our improved machine, with aportion of the case broken away to exhibit the operating mechanism. Fig.2 represents a vertical transverse section of the same, taken at x x ofFig. 1. Fig. 3 represents the distributing-feeder, detached. n

This invention relates to the class of machines used for separatingimpurities and bran from that product of flouringmills known asmiddlings; and it consists in certainimprovements in such machines,whereby the middlings may be perfectly purified, and used to manufacturethe best quality of flour.

In our improved machine, in which a fan, a cloth screen, adistributing-feeder, and discharging mechanism are used, we haveprovided devices for perfectly regulating the ingress of the air, andfor directing its currents through the machine. The distributing-feederand the cloth screen are shaken by suitable mechanism, and the latter issubjected to a slight percussive action to prevent it from becomingclogged.

In the drawings, A denotes the ease, inwhich the bolting-cloth screen Bis suspended byfour elastic straps, W, secured at their upper ends toadjusting-rolls a a for varying the position of the screen, which shouldhave a slight inclination, so as to facilitate the passage of the stuffbeing cleansed. The front end of the screen-frame is connected, by apitman, to the crank-shaft b, by which reciprocating motion is impartedto it. On the upper edges of the screen-frame two angular knockers, c,are secured, which are brought in contact with two yielding tappets, z',under which the knockers c pass at each forward and backward movenientof the screen, thus causing the elastic its meshes from any adheringmatter. The distributing-feeder D is supported by an inclined boardsecured to the case A, and has imparted to it oscillating motion bymeans of the bell-crank and connecting-rods y y, one of which isconnected with the crank-pin on the end of shaft b. Feeder D is providedwith several chutes, e e, which spread the middlings upon a perforatedinclined bottom, through which it is evenly sifted upon the front end ofscreen B. The side pieces of the screen-frame are made with wedge-shapedslots o, extending from end to end, and are provided with iianges n m togive proper direction to the entering currents of air drawn by the fanthrough slots s s in the sides of the case rA. rlhe slides p arearranged to regulate the admission of air, and these may be so modifiedas to cause the air to enter either above or below the deiiecting-iiangen. One purpose of the wedge-shaped slots o and the outwardly-projectingange n at the bottom of the screen-frame is tocause a strong ing it.rIhe fan will necessarily draw a less powerful current of air throughthe screen B than through slots o; but sufficient draft to buoy up thelighter matter passing along the screen B will be drawn through it.These two currents of air, deiected by the flanges n m, may berelatively varied in volume and intensity by adjusting the slides p p,as the nature of the work and the condition of the atmosphere willindicate. In humid weather a stronger current, and of greater volume,will be required to pass up through the screen B t-o effect the bestresults.

In our improved machine the air carrying the impurities is drawndirectly out at the center of the case above the screen by the action ofthe fan, excepting the heavier bran, which is discharged over the rearend of the screen into a separate apartment, H. The flour and granularparticles of the wheat fall down through the meshes of the bolting-clothscreen by their oWn gravity and by the agitation of the screen. Thedraft o f air up through the screen should be so regulated as to permitall the valuable material to fall, and the draft above the screen beallowed to assist in buoying up that which is passing along the screen.Suitable pulleys and gearing are employed to drive the fan N andconveyer M, and to shake Jthe feeder D and screen B.

The material to be purified is fed through the opening r upon thedistributing-feeder, at D', and is directed and spread by chutes e 6upon the perforated bottom or sieve K, Which discharges it upon thescreen B evenly; and as there is an adjustable slide over a slot in thefront of case A, directly below the feeder D, a slight draft of air maybe admitted to pass through the falling material before it reaches thescreen B, and thus remove a portion of the fine dust at the beginning ofthe operation.

It is apparent that the knocker o and tappet fi may be transposed so asto get substantially the same effect.

XVe do not in this application claim, broadly, the air-passages in thesides of the case, as they are to .be incorporated in a separate anddistinct application of ours.

Having described our improved machine for purifying middlings, We claim,and desire to secure by Letters Patent, as our invention- Thecombination of the elastic suspensionstraps W, knockers c, and tappetsz' with the screen, substantially as described.

Witness our hands this 30th day of April, A.

WM. GUNGKEL.

